YouTube is adding more features to it's Android app, pushing it towards a future where Virtual Reality is king. Google announced yesterday, on its official YouTube blog, that it's bringing VR videos to smartphones, and the only added bit of hardware you'll need is Google Cardboard.
YouTube announced 360-degree videos back in March, filmed with a special rig, that let you pan around the scene in playback on either your phone or desktop. VR videos take that a step further with stereoscopic rendering for the videos, giving them depth - objects closer to you in the videos are visibly closer than those further away. There's a playlist of new VR videos on YouTube to demonstrate the concept, put together by the company itself in partnership with Jump (who made the camera rigs) and 360 Labs. but while they're meant to be experienced on a smartphone with Google Cardboard, you can still pan through them on a desktop screen. The list includes a Hunger Games Trailer, a world tour, and a simulation of the Apollo 11 landing.
Another feature YouTube is adding, is more like a byproduct of the VR compatibility. You can now use Google Cardboard to view any video on the app in a sort of virtual movie theatre. Just start a video, toggle the VR mode and slip your phone into the viewer - you'll be watching the video on a large screen in a simulated dark room. Both these feature are currently only available for the Androiid app, though they're expected to reach iOS users soon. And if you're not sure where you can get a Google Cardboard viewer, why not try making one?
